Sliding-car-door lock.



PATENTED OUT. 22. 1907. F. G. HODGDON.

SLIDING CAR DOOR LOCK.

urmorrmn rmm June, 1907.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

No. 868,859. PATENTED OCT. 22. 1907.

F. O. HODGDON.

' Ei'l LE anaemic R FCHaaf'yfizr Wihwano 5 I 6mm PATENTED 00122.1907.

F. G. HODGDON. SLIDING GAR DOOR LOOK.

APPLICATION FILED JAILQ, 1907- 3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

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Tu; mums Plfll'! 0a., WASHINGTON. n c,

.FOYDIOE (l. HODGDON, OF DENVE 1, COLORADO.

SLIDING-CAR-DOOR LOCK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 22, 1907.

Application filed January 9,1907- Serial No. 351,519.

To all whom it may concrrn:

Be it known that I, Foyorcn G. HonenoN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Denver, in the county of Denver, State of Colorado, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Sliding-(Tar-Door Locks; and 1 do hereby declare the following to be a hill, clear, and exact description ol the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to sliding door locks and is more particularly adapted for use on freight car doors.

The primary object. ol' my invention is to provide a lock of this class which may be operated to lock the door in such a manner that it may be opened by any one without the use of a key or may be operated to lock the door so that it cannot be opened except by the use of the proper key.

Broadly stated, the invention resides in the provi sion of a pair of lQVGIH which are arranged within a casing and have booked ends for the reception therebetween oi a rod which has a headed end and which is slidably arranged within a second casing. The le vors are headed at their end opposite their hooked ends and a wedge shaped member is slidably engaged in the casing for movement into position between the headed end of the lever to prevent disengagement of their hooked ends iroin the rod inv the second casing, this rod lorming what may be termed the bolt oi the lock. A retractable pin is carried by the first casing and is adapted to be pressed by a spring into engagement in an opening in the wedge-shaped member above described to hold the same against movement from its engagement between the headed end of the lever. Means are also provided, as heretofore stated, for positively preventing retraction of the bolt from locking engagement with the hooked end of the levers.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a side elevation of my lock showing the same applied to a car door, Fig. 2 is a similar view but with the front plates of the casings removed and showing the parts in unlocked position, Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 but showing the parts in locked position, Fig. l is a view similar to Fig. 2 ol' one of the lock casings showing the positive locking means, Fig. 5 is a detail vertical sectional view through the casing in which the lovers are located and taken in a line with the retract able pin for positively holding the wedge member, and, Fig. (i is a similar view taken in a plane with the positive locking means for the levers.

ln the drawings thereare shown two casings in one of which is arranged the lock bolt and in the other the levers which serve as keepers for the bolt and these two casings will, for the sake of convenience, be described respectively as the bolt casing and keeper casing.

The bolt casing is shown as comprising a pair of sections 10 and ll. which are correspondingly recessed longitudinally as at 13 (the recess of the section 10 not being shown), which recesses, when the two sections are connected, iorm a channel or here in which is received a bolt rod 14, this bolt rod being preferably arranged for sliding movement in guide brackets 15 which are arranged in the groove 13 in the section 11. This bolt is provided at a point between the brackets in which it is slidably engaged with a collar 16', and disposed upon the bolt rod with one of its ends hearing against the collar and its other end against one of the bearings 15 is a spring 17 which exertsa tendency to hold one end of the rod normally within the casing. This end of the bolt rod just mentioned is the end which is arranged to extend through that end of the casing which abuts or faces the keeper casing and is of triangular form adjacent its extreme endand is provided at its extreme end with a head 19. The opposite end of the bolt rod 14 may be provided with a head or knob by means of which it may be moved manually, it being understood that this end of the bolt rod extends through the opposite end of the casing to the headed end 19.

The keeper casing for the lock is also formed of a pair of sections and these sections are indicated by the numorals 20 and 21 which are preferably of hollow construction and which are adapted to be connected to form the casing. The section 20 of the keeper casing is provided with openings 22 and 23 in its ends and pivotally arranged in opposition to each other within this section of the casing is a pair of lovers 2-1. At their ends nearest the opening 22 in the casing these levers are provided with hooks or shoulders 25 behind which the head 19 of the bolt rod is adapted to seat when the bolt rod is pushed into engagement with the opening 22 and into the keeper casing, it being understood that these levers, by reason of their shouldered ends form in conjunction with each other a keeper for the bolt rod. Arranged within the casing and bearing against the le-, vcrs at their ends opposite their hooked or shouldered ends and consequently at an opposite side of their pivot points are springs 26, the tendency of these springs being to separate the hooked or shouldered ends 25 of the said lovers. The ends of the levers against which the springs bear, however, are provided with opposing cam heads 27 between which is adapted to be engaged a wedge-shaped head 28 formed at one end with a stem 29, which stem projects outwardly of the casing and through the opening 23. It will be understood, of course, that when this head is so engaged between the headed ends of the lovers, the levers will have their hooked ends brought together to tightly engage the headed end of the bolt rod, and in order to hold the stem 29 and its wedge-shaped head in such engagement I have provided a means which will now be described.

Upon the section 21 of the casing is formed a second casing in which is slidably mounted the pin upon which is engaged a helical spring 31 which bears at one of its ends against the outer end of the casing through which the pin projects and at its opposite end against a head 32 formed upon the corresponding end of the pin. This head 32 is provided with a notch or recess which, when the stem 29 is pushed into the casing, receives the said stem behind shoulders formed by the head thereon and therefore prevents outward movement of the stem and head to release the jaws. It is also preferable that the stem 29 be notched as at 33 and that a lug be formed in the notch or recess in the head 32 so as to seat in this notch 33.

It will be noted that the head 32 in its engaged relation with the stem 29 bridges said stem and in addition to preventing axial movement thereof, through the means set forth, likewise prevents lateral movement thereof.

As will be readily understood from the foregoing description, when locking the door the bolt rod 14 is pressed against the tension of its spring into the keeper casing and between the hooked ends of the levers 24, the stem 29 being then pressed into the casing between the headed ends of the levers to cause the same to grip the headed end of the bolt rod and being automatically locked in such engagement by the retractable pin 30, and it will be readily understood also that to unlock the door it is only necessary to pull upon the pin 30 whereby the pin 30 is released and may be withdrawn to permit of the disengagement of the levers 24 from the bolt 14, at which time the spring 17 Will act to retract said bolt.

It will be observed that all of the mechanism heretofore described serves merely to latch the door but I have provided a means for positively locking the door and this means comprises a tumbler 35 which is pivoted in a recess formed in the section 21 of the keeper casing and is provided with a notch 37 which is adapted to receive the triangular portion of the bolt rod, there being a spring 38 which bears against the tumbler for this purpose. A key hole 39 is formed through the upper edge of the said section of the keeper casing for the reception of a key 40 which is cut away as at 41 at an angle to its fitting portion 42. This key when inserted in the key hole and before being turned engages behind the tumbler 35 and upon turning the key, one edge of its cut away portion will move into engagement with the opposite end of the tumbler to that end in which the notch 37 is formed and of course upon the opposite side of the pivotal point to the last named end thereby swinging the tumbler out of the engagement of the triangular portion of the bolt rod and thereby releasing the same.

What is claimed is In a lock of the class described, the combination with a bolt casing, and a displaceable sliding bolt therein, having an enlarged head, of a keeper casing, pivoted lovers in said keeper casing formed at one end with hooks for engagement with said enlarged head and at their other ends with cam heads, a manually operated sliding stem having a wedge-shaped head for engagement with said cam heads to spread the same apart, and a spring pressed manually displaceable pin carrying an enlarged head straddling said stem and formed to hold the same against lateral and axial displacement.

In testimony whereof, I affix my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

FOYDICE C. HODGDON.

Witnesses:

FANNIFJ BRAGG, E. B. BRAY. 

